Strengthen public discourse on civic space and reinforce civil society narratives

The global context of rising authoritarianism, the normalisation of anti-civil society rhetoric and the proliferation of disinformation has made battles over narratives as consequential as struggles over policies. This objective covers our efforts to counter attacks against civil society and the people whose rights we defend, centre civil society voices in public debate and ensure our research and advocacy reach and influence the right audiences.

Civil society narratives

The State of Civil Society Report will remain our primary contribution to global narratives about civil society. It offers a comprehensive account of what civil society is doing and achieving in the world, providing a resource that members and partners value as a positive, evidence-based counter-narrative to delegitimising attacks. The 300 interviews we will publish throughout the year will give civil society activists a platform to tell their stories. Our pilot series of artivist portraits will put human faces to the civil society journey.

We will produce op-eds, press releases and social media content and present CIVICUS Lens and CIVICUS Monitor analysis and data to civil society and diplomatic audiences at events around the Commission on the Status of Women, the High-Level Political Forum and the UN General Assembly. The Economic and Social Council Youth Forum will provide a further platform for disseminating CIVICUS research.

Narratives infrastructure

Through the Communicators for Civic Space Network, we will convene journalists and communications practitioners to strengthen civil society narratives, combining narrative research with online convenings and continued engagement with Asian and Latin American partners. We will host a regional gathering in Africa and a global one in a global south country and run four coordinated narrative campaigns. By supporting journalists and digital storytellers and co-creating with them, and drawing on the VUKA Coalition’s Narratives Mapping Tool, we will deliver stories that reach targeted public audiences.

Media engagement

We will develop partnerships with journalists and media outlets to support collaborative storytelling. We will renew our existing media partnerships and establish new ones, including one with Spanish-language media to extend our reach to a region historically underserved by English-language knowledge production. CIVICUS researchers will publish at least 50 op-eds in external outlets, aimed at repackaging research content in more accessible formats.

Digital communications

We will strengthen our digital and social media presence through audience-focused content, refreshed image and video templates and new animation capacity. We will conduct a dedicated website accessibility audit, integrate translation tools and engage a consultancy on AI and search engine optimisation to establish best practices for content reach. The Digital Campaigning Accelerator will build our capacity to deliver impactful digital mobilisation, with the Global Solidarity Cup campaign around the 2026 World Cup providing a test case for leveraging a global cultural moment to position our work, reach new audiences, activate member participation and mobilise action for civic space.

Innovation community of practice

Ahead of the next Nelson Mandela–Graça Machel Innovation Awards, CIVICUS is convening an Innovation Community of Practice through online conversations led by past awardees and global civic innovation experts. These exchanges will socialise the CIVICUS Approach to Civic Innovation Framework, co-designed with awardees and drawn from years of incubating projects that test, iterate and scale solutions to strengthen civic freedoms. By sharing lessons, fostering solidarity and amplifying stories of resilience and creative change, this diverse community will enrich public discourse on civic space and reinforce civil society’s narratives.